UNRWA’s Terrorist Employees Cause Nations to Halt Funds

The United Nations secretary general, António Guterres, has appealed to 10 donor countries that have withdrawn funding from the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), after a dozen of UNRWA’s staff were found participating in the October 7 massacre.

Nine UNRWA staff have been dismissed for alleged involvement in Hamas’s attack on Israel. Any UN employee involved in acts of terror will be held accountable, including through criminal prosecution, according to Guterres.

Loss of Funding

The United States, which was the largest bilateral donor providing UNRWA with more than $340 million annually, responded by suspending its funding which was followed by nine other countries.

Ireland and Norway expressed disgust at the allegations but rejected suspending funding as they believe UNRWA acted swiftly in removing those who were engaged in the acts of terrorism. Secretary General of the Norwegian Refugee Council, Jan Egeland, said, “Donors, do not starve children for the sins of a few individual aid workers.”

The European Union has also suspended all aid to UNRWA.

In a post on X, Representative Alexandria Ocasio Cortez made her position known about nations withdrawing funds from UNRWA: “Cutting off support to @UNRWA – the primary source of humanitarian aid to 2 million+ Gazans – is unacceptable. Among an organization of 13,000 UN aid workers, risking the starvation of millions over grave allegations of 12 is indefensible. The US should restore aid immediately.”

What is “unacceptable” are UNRWA aid workers murdering and kidnapping Israelis, the 1,200 UNRWA staff working as Hamas and Jihad operatives, as well as the 3,000 UNRWA teachers who celebrated the October 7 terrorist attacks.

If anything is “unacceptable,” it’s a U.S. Representative supporting those UNRWA employs.

What Defunding UNRWA Doesn’t Mean

Defunding UNRWA doesn’t mean aid to Palestinians would cease. It also doesn’t mean aid being delivered by the United Nations would stop as the World Food Program is already in Gaza, the United Nations Office for Peace Services is already in Gaza. On top of this, the United Nations has the rapid response capacity that can easily and sufficiently, take over UNRWA relief operations.

Defunding UNRWA simply means money would no longer be handed directly over to a United Nations organization that has terrorists in it, as well as those who sympathize with them.

Israel formally handed information to the UNRWA commissioner general, Philippe Lazzarini, last Sunday alleging that as many 12 UNRWA staff had been involved in the 7 October attack. Lazzarini then informed donors before making an announcement.

According to Israeli intelligence estimates shared with the U.S. government, an estimated 1,200 UNRWA employees in Gaza are “operatives” of Hamas or Palestinian Islamic Jihad, with roughly half having close relatives belonging to the Islamist terrorist organizations. The report also stated that 23% of UNRWA’s male employees—the agency has a total staff of 12,000 in Gaza—actively took part in Hamas’s military or political framework.

The Wall Street Journal published the report and revealed that nearly half of all UNRWA employees—an estimated 49%—also had close relatives with official ties to Hamas and other terrorist groups. The WSJ also confirmed the October 7 intelligence reports identified an UNRWA Arabic teacher who was a Hamas terrorist commander and took part in a terrorist attack on Kibbutz Be’eri, where 97 people were murdered, and about 26 people were kidnapped and taken as hostages to Gaza.

The UNRWA employees involved in the October 7 terrorist attacks have since been fired.

Perspective

As Christians, we know who will return to reign physically over this nation, despite the region being plagued with conflict and violence since the days of Abraham.

To negate the role Israel has is one of the many tools of the enemy to keep the church in the dark concerning God’s end-time plan for our world. Thus, these questions arise – why should believers be so concerned over such a small nation? What does the Bible say about standing with Israel?

Israel is a land that God consistently and prophetically describes in the Bible as, “Mine” (Joel 1:6; Zech. 2:5-7; Gen. 35:10-15). He also uniquely elevates Israel as being a light to the Gentiles.

Standing with Israel and her people isn’t about politics; it’s about the Word of God.

Every believer is charged to make the Jewish people a priority in their value system. Why? Because God has. As a result, we are to render thanksgiving for God’s work via them as a people.

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